How to Become an Episcopal Priest

Becoming an Episcopal priest is much different from becoming a Catholic priest or a pastor or minister in any other Protestant denomination. Episcopal priests may be male or female, gay or straight, and are allowed to marry and have children. If you feel that God is calling you to become an Episcopal priest, you should explore that call fully.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited college or university

1. Enter the process of discernment, when you to search within yourself and discover whether the ministry is right for you. To begin the process, speak with your local parish priest. He can give you guidance, and will outline the process for you in a more concrete way. Then you will meet with a discernment committee, which consists of members of your church (often including the priest and members of the Vestry, the elected committee that runs an individual church). The committee will ask you questions about your spiritual journey, your family situation, your personal history, and any other information they may need to understand your readiness to become a priest.

2. Meet with the Bishop of your diocese after the discernment committee has approved of your intentions. You also must meet with your diocese's Commission on Ministry; often there's an event for everyone who is in the discernment process from the diocese to come together and meet the Commission.

3. Undergo evaluation by a mental health professional, if required. You also may have to undergo a background check.

4. Be named as a postulant for Holy Orders, meaning you are ready to begin your theological education.

5. Conduct research and decide where to attend seminary; there are 10 accredited Episcopal seminaries in the U.S.

6. Apply to the seminaries you would like to attend.

7. Attend seminary for three years and earn a Master of Divinity degree. During your studies, you will become a candidate for ordination and probably will be required to attend a candidacy conference. In January of your senior year, you must take the General Ordination Exams (GOEs), which will help determine if you are ready for ordination.

8. Be ordained as a deacon after graduation. Your ordination serves as a training period in which you will experience the ministry under the guidance of an ordained priest. You will work within a parish as a deacon for a minimum of six months.

9. Be ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church after your time as a transitional deacon.

Tips & Warnings

• Schedule a visit to each seminary you are considering. Many seminaries have open houses or prospective student days to give postulants a chance to see what life at their seminaries is like.

• Contact your seminary's Financial Aid Office if you believe the price of seminary might be hard on your family.

• "Ember Day" letters will be required at different stages of the process. These are informational letters you write to your bishop, telling him about how you are doing and how your spiritual journey is progressing.

• You may choose to do some of your theological study at a non-Episcopal seminary. Be advised, however, that you will still need a Certificate in Anglican Studies from an Episcopal institution before becoming ordained in the church.

• Discuss your goals with your family. Your spouse and children might need to move to a new location with you and change jobs or schools so that you can attend seminary. Explain to your family why you want to become a priest and what you think the journey might entail for everyone.

Resources

• Episcopal Church